The invention relates to picture frames, specifically frames that are adapted to store photos internally while displaying other photos where the photos in the stored position can be displayed with little time or effort.
1. Background
The invention relates to picture display frames namely for photographs and more particularly a method of displaying and storing pictures in a single piece unit. Personal photographs are often desired to be displayed in homes and establishments. Normally people have more photographs in their possession than room for displaying them or only a few are desired to be displayed at a given time. Thus, it is necessary to store photographs in a manner that people can easily retrieve them and display them with ease.
For example, oftentimes people have seasonal pictures corresponding to four sets of pictures of spring)summer, fall and winter. The set of pictures that is displayed must be changed four times a year to correspond to the present season. Oftentimes people find perfect locations in a house for particular pictures. Then at the end of the season the pictures must be removed from the conventional frame, transported to a storage location, a new seasonal picture is retrieved, the new picture is loaded into the conventional frame and finally the conventional frame is mounted back onto the wall. The replace picture now must be stored at a presumably distant location. Furthermore there is no indexing system to know the previous location of the picture that is now in storage.
The invention is an improved picture frame that stores pictures not in use and is easy to manufacture and simple to use. The picture frame in the preferred form, comprises two leafs and a base. On each side of the leaf is photo holding portion that comprises a transparent sheet and an opening. Each side of a leaf has a photo holding portion where there is a total of four photo holding portions. The invention is designed to display one photo at a time. The other three photos are concealed within the frame itself.
The present invention removes the need of removing a picture from a conventional frame and storing it at a somewhat distant location. But rather, employing the present invention a person can change the presently displayed picture and simultaneously store the previously displayed picture all within the same unit.
Therefore it is an object of the invention to provide a picture frame that discretely stores pictures while displaying only one and where the frame is relatively thin and remains attractive and aesthetically pleasing
It is further an object of the current invention to provide a picture frame that can conveniently change its currently displayed picture. Where the picture to be displayed is stored within the frame and the currently displayed picture is stored within the display.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a design that is inexpensive to manufacture and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Other advantages to the present invention will become apparent in the detailed description below.
2. Background Art
A search of the patent literature has a number of patents directed toward these problems, these being the following:
The prior designs of picture frames are geared to display multiple pictures at a time. Further, the prior art discloses multiple discrete piece designs to manufacture the picture frames.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,373 Byers shows a card display frame that is assembled from multiple pieces. There is no teaching of using the display to store pictures. Further the frame in Byers is not adapted to be mounted on a wall with an attachment system to hold the frame assemblies together.
The invention is a frame that is adapted to house more than one picture where the frame has a first leaf member that has a first lateral region in a second lateral region. The first leaf has a connection region that is located in the first lateral region. The first leaf also has a first and second side positioned on opposite sides of one another on the first leaf and each side is adapted to mount a picture.
The frame further has a second leaf that has a first lateral region in a second lateral region. The second leaf is pivotally connected at a connection region located in the first lateral region to the first leaf about a transverse axis. The second leaf further has a third and fourth sides that are located on opposite sides of the second leaf and are each adapted to mount pictures thereon. The frame has a first position where the first and third sides of the first and second leafs are positioned in a face to face engagement and the second lateral regions of the first and second leafs are positioned in proximity to one another. The second or fourth pictures on either the second or fourth sides are adapted to be presented. The first and third pictures are in a stored position. The frame further having a second position where the second and fourth sides of the first and second leafs are positioned in a face to face engagement and the second lateral members of the first and second leafs are positioned in proximity to one another and the first or third pictures are adapted to be presented and the second and fourth pictures are in a stored position.